James s



(No Model.)

J. S. PATTBN.

CABLE GRIP.

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Patented Mar. 14, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES S. PATTEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND MORTON SOHAEFFER, OF SAME PLACE.

CABLE-G RIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,514, dated March 14, 1893.

Application filed August 5 1892.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES S. PATTEN, residing in the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Grips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a grip device for cable traction railways, and it relates more particularly to that class of grip devicesin which the cable is clamped between movable jaws, which are adapted to be spread apart and which are capable of vertical movement relatively to the cable, whereby the jaw supports may be raised to elevate the grippers from contact with such cable, or lowered to again engage the same when it is desired to again grip such cable. In the employment of this class of grippers, the cable is usually clamped by vertical pressure, c'. e. one or both jaws are movable vertically against such cable. In the use of such grips the cable is released from the grip jaws, when spread apart, by side swing of the grip-or other means, which forces the cable laterally out of such jaws. This method of releasing the cable is objectionable, in that it is unreliable, necessitates the use of what is termed a gypsy or similar lever, for lifting the cable back into the gripper jaws; it also requires specially constructed mechanism for throwing out the cable from the grip when crossing a transverse cable. To avoid these objectionable features in cable grips, and to provide a gripper simple in construction, easy to manipulate and effective in its operation, which is especially adapted to grip the cable by lateral pressure and drop it vertically when released therefrom, and which can be quickly adjusted to again pick it up without the aid of liftinglevers or other additional means, is the main object of my invention.

A further object is to provide a grip which is also adapted to be automatically operated to release its cable, when it reaches a cross cable, which will ride bodily over such cable, and which will again drop into a proper position to embrace its own cable after passing over the cross cable, the mere application of the gripmans lever being necessary to close the jaws onto the cable.

v It has also for its object to provide a grip- Serial No. 442,229. (No model.)

per having clamp jaws incapable of slipping or loosening their bite on the cable after they are applied, whereby the usual unnecessary frictional wear upon the cable incident to long jaw grips is avoided.

With other minor objects in view all of which will hereinafter be fully set out, my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts fully described in the specification and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a view illustrating my improved grip devices as in use. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the grip the jaws being in their open or spread position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the lever or jaw portion. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on line 4 4 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the jaws closed in against the cable. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modied arrangement of the grip devices especially adapted for use on roads having cross cables. Fig. 7 is a detail end View of the same hereinafter more especially referred to.

In the use of my improved grip devices, on cable roads having no cross cables, I arrange them as illustrated in Figs. l to 5 inclusive. In this construction, the grip shank A proper may be of the form as shown most clearly in Fig. 1,it beingguided in the depending guide members b secured upon the grip supporting beam B mounted upon the car axles in the usual manner, and such shank is capable of vertical adjustment in such guide, the usual elevating lever mechanism C C being employed as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the shank A being centrally cut out as at A Fig. 3 to accommodate the lower or shank portion of the grip lever presently referred to. Upon the lower end of the shank A, is secured or cast integral, an elongated casing I), closed at its sides and formed with end porlions, such portions being in the nature of shallow cross members CZ as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By reference to such iigures it will be noticed that the clamp jaws, consist of a pair of toggle clamps, each of which is formed of abar E pivotally connected at its rear face to the links F F pivoted to the sides of the casing D (see Fig. 4.) It will IOO also be noticed that tbe ends of such jaws E are in a plane below the cross members d', while their lower edges are approximately in the same plane with the side walls of the casing D, and such bars have removable friction blocks f f, which engage the cable, when such bars are closed inward as shown iu Fig. 5.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the bars E are pivoted to close inward in the direction indicated by the arrow, such 1in practice, being the direction of the moving cable. Each of the bars has an upwardly projecting apertured portion e in which projects the ends of a shifting pin G fitted transversely in the lower end of the gripmans leverH, which is pivoted a short distance above the pin G to a link arm I pivotallyconnected with the'lower-end of the shank `A as at J:

So far asrdescribed `it will be observedto applythe grip, the jaws are opened totthe'po# sition shown in Fig. 2, and theshank lowered, until thecasin g seats-upon'the cable,the shallowcrossmembe'rs d', beingformed with cent tral grooved portions-d2, which engage thecableand form rguidesfor adjusting the casing; so the--jaws'will close inaagain'st thecable'; they also prevent-ing, as it were, upward dis` placement of the cable. After the casingy is set on` the cable, the lever is Vmoved slightly irrthe direction indicated bytheI arrow in Fig. 3, andthe jaws thrown forward and in ward against the cable; Yand VVso soon as they.

come in frictional contact therewith theytwill be drawn tightly against-it and held *therei against-,byits forward pull. By this arrangeL ment the jaws are always-inlaftightfrictional contact with the cable, irrespective ofV the gripmansattention to the lever, and conse quently all danger of slipping avoided. i

In stoppingvthe car the-jaws need beheld apart only a sufficient distance to remove' the lateral clamp bearing of same, to permit the cablevto passthrough the same,'but when-it is'desired to drop the cable the jawsare spread suiiiciently to let the cable dropto its lower position.

It ismanifest, that, byarrangingthelgripper jaws, so theirfront ends project at'a plane below the frontend of the casing,.such jaws can be held to engage any suitable safety. or stop, located at such points in the conduit where it is absolutely necessary-to release the cable from the grip, providngthereby, means for automatically-releasin g the grip jaws from the cable, in case of negligence of the gripman, or at times when the jaws should refuse to operate promptly. It is also obvious, when used at such pointsand the grip shank-elevating lever is released fromfits locked -position, such shank willbe forced upward in its guides as the jaws engage such safety or stop. j

When my improved-grip is employed upon roads where cross cables are in use the grip shank is-formed of sections joined to allow the lower section to be swungrearward;

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown my improved grip especiallyadapted for use Where cross cables are Vto beencounted. In this case the shank has its lower section AX pivotally hung upon the upper section A, and is capable for movement rearward, but not forward. When this form of shank is used, a cable sheave K having flanges of much' morethan the ordinary diameter is placed in the main cable conduit just in advance of the cross cable, the upper end of such flange being preferably 1n about the same horizontal plane as the cross cable (see Fig. 6).

In the construction just described, as the car reaches the cross cable, the lever I-I is released -from its rack and the grip is adjusted so its jaws will contact with the upper edge of the pulleyA K, lwhich-serves to forcek the jaws rearward; spreadingV them apart, and therebyreleasingfthefmai-n cable., Asseenin dotted lines in Fig-6 thelower'rportionof-the grip; body is by such' contact swun g rearward, and as the carpassesforwardisdrawn `up over `the pulley K,its1front end being-thereby elevated to clearA the Icross cable-,the front endsof the jaws ,YE arel slightlytapered to facilitate suchu operation. Afterthe cross cable ispassedithe grip shankf drops down toi its `norma-l position, overlthe cable, after which the'j awsA are? closed t in as' before described.-

I desirreit und'erst'oottA 'that I- do not/4 lim-it myself to -the'hexa-et constructions'shown", especially so asrelates-to the' divided gripzshank, asl such maybevaried without departingf rom myfinvent-ion. Y y

Having thus describedmy,inventionwhat I claim; and desire'to-secure by: LettersPat- 91113,' S

l. A cable gri p comprising a vertically movable sha-nk formedwith a casingion 4its flower end, having an open flbottom, toggle grip. jaws horizon tallygpivoted on theundersideof such casing, and-arranged togrip, the cable `laterally when moved inward, thefron-t ends' of such; jawslprojected` down, below'the end portions of thel casing, Vwhereby they will be forced rearward tof release the cable when meetinganobstruction' in the conduit,'sub` stantiallyf as and t for thepurposesfdescribed.

2.- A-cable grip: comprisin'ga vertically movable-shank, having af-longitudinally and laterally.` extendedl open `bottomwcasing,L ther-end walls terminating ata point -nearf theutop of such casing, whereby such casing is adapted to seat over thefcable, andfhorizontallyar ranged ftoggle 'jaws pivonedl to4 thefside walls of such casing and inclosed'thcreby, said jaws adapted to engage the-'cable laterally-from opposite sides,and havingtheir-fronttends at a plane `below theendsiof the casing, all substantially-asand forf the purposes described.

3. In*l a cable grip, the combinationwith' a verticallyv movable` gripshank having acut outiportionA, anda laterally extending open bottom casing ony itslower entl,1and=the'grip jaws mountedin such casing, ofan operating lever connected to such grip jaws, pivotally connected'near its lower endto the shank A,

and extended upward to a point above the conduit slot within the cut out portion of the shank, and then projected up to the outside of such shank, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. An improved cable grip comprisinga vertically movable grip shank, an open bottom casing hinged to the lower end of such shank, for a rearwardly swinging movement, a pair of horizontally movable toggle jaws adapted to engage the cable laterally from opposite sides, said jaws having their front ends pro,- jected to a point below the end walls of the casing, and lever mechanism for operating such jaws, all arranged substantially as described, whereby the jaws will engage a cross cable or other obstruction kin the conduit and be forced rearward to release the cable and all arranged substantially as shown and for 3o the purpose described.

JAMES S. PATTEN.

Witnesses:

THos. KELL BRADFORD, S. W. BRADFORD. 

